PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — The Oregon School Activities Association is investigating allegations of racism stemming from a girls high school basketball game Tuesday.
De La Salle North Catholic High School players say members of the Clatskanie basketball team acted inappropriately and called them racial slurs. Nafisaria Mathews, the mother of one of the De La Salle players, said she was taken aback once she heard about the incident.
“I’ve never heard her have this type of experience,” Mathews said.
Although Mathews wasn’t at the game Tuesday, she told KOIN 6 News her daughter came home very upset that night.
“When we got home she started talking about how they were getting treated weird and some of the girls were saying, you know, calling people the n-word or saying ‘Black b,’ so I was shocked,” Mathews explained.
De La Salle called the incident extremely disappointing and said, “The use of racial slurs coupled with other inappropriate actions towards our girls basketball team, which includes our players and coaching staff, will not be tolerated.”
Clatskanie Middle/High School says they’re working with both De La Salle and the OSAA to investigate. The school said, in part, “We are deeply troubled as a school community at the severity of the accusations, and are committed to resolving the issue and promoting the continued causes of equality in our society.”
Clatskanie also said they’re reviewing footage of the game and security camera footage as part of the investigation.
Meanwhile, the OSAA says they’ve been in contact with both schools and the Oregon Athletic Officials Association and are investigating what took place — but called the alleged behavior unacceptable.
“I’m always shocked… I’m always shocked and then I’m always brought back to, there’s still people like that,” Mathews said. “It just is wild to me with everything going on in the world, that’s the type of things that people are still on.”
KOIN 6 News will continue to follow the investigation. We will provide updates when new information is available.